George Martin’s work with the Beatles means that over 30 years later he is still regarded by many as the ultimaterecord producer. A musician, engineer and inspirational collaborator, without whom the Beatles’ music would have been unrecognisable, and – in my opinion – nowhere near as fascinating, important or influential.

Reverberation is a subtle but crucial part of any mix. The wrong choice can make everything sound harsh, messy, muddy or distant. The right choice can bind a mix together, add depth, space, and air, and enhance detail. The trick is knowing the difference.

Once upon a time, things were simple. You either had an SPX-90 or a Lexicon, and you got on with the job. Now, the range of choice is bewildering. In the 21st century there are hardware and plugin reverbs, modelling reverbs, sampling reverbs, convolution reverbs, emulating reverbs… the list goes on.

This post will completely ignore all that confusion, and attempt to cut right to the chase. Later I’ll offer some ideas, hints and tips for getting the best results with reverb, but first we’ll look at:

How to choose the right reverb.

Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends, We’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside…

I know, it’s been ages.

And, the way things are looking at the moment, it’s going to stay slow for a while longer yet…

So, stay tuned to the RSS feed for future updates, including a brief summary of all the goings-on of Dynamic Range Day – but in the meantime – enjoy this video about the recording and mixing of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

I was going to say “please enjoy this video”, but honestly, if there isn’t something to delight or amuse you in here, you’re reading the wrong blog.

If this video doesn’t make you want to own your own analogue synthesiser, nothing will !

David Vorhaus will forever be part of my own musical history for creating the album “An Electric Storm” as part of legendary band The White Noise – along with Delia Derbyshire, of “Doctor Who Theme” fame. This mad, tuneful collage of tape loops, analogue synths and sound effects was released in 1969, and provides proof, if you needed it, that the Beatles weren’t nearly as cutting edge as they thought they were.